Drunk Norfolk Police officer who mimicked waving taser around sacked
The PC assaulted a man while out celebrating passing a course
A drunk police officer who was out celebrating passing a three-day Taser course has been sacked for gross misconduct after mimicking wielding a Taser, shouting "police" and "Taser" and assaulting a man.
PC Lee Ribera, of Norfolk Police, had "gone out that night as he was so elated at passing his Taser course", a report about a disciplinary hearing said.
The officer, who joined the force in 2022, was said to have been "heavily intoxicated" after attending a Wetherspoons pub in Norwich in September last year.
Pc Ribera was asked to leave a cinema in a shopping centre then later, in a different part of the shopping centre, "shouted words along the lines of 'is there a police officer with a Taser' with his hands outstretched in front of him as though holding something", the report said.
"The officer was passed by a member of the public and the officer shouted 'police' and 'Taser'," the report continued.
It was said that a second man passed the officer just after 10pm and the officer attempted to grab the man and pushed him backwards with both hands.
Pc Ribera was said to have shouted about "police" and "Tasers" and the man asked the officer to leave him alone and "assumed a non-combative position".
"The officer further attempted to push the male backwards and a physical altercation followed," the report said.
"The officer pushed, attempted to grab and with his left hand struck (the man).
"The man punched the officer numerous times at different points of the physical altercation.
"The altercation ended when (the man) punched the officer who then fell to the floor, believed to be unconscious."
The report said all facts were found to be proven on the balance of probabilities and following admissions from Pc Ribera.
The hearing was told that the assaulted man, who was not traced, "will have suffered some level of physical harm".
The report said the incident would "likely undermine public confidence in policing".
It was said that a submission that Pc Ribera's "mind (was) going to elements of his training" had "no bearing on the case" and "it was essentially an unprovoked assault on a member of the public".
The officer told of his "deep regret and embarrassment" and expressed "his deepest apologies to all concerned".
Pc Ribera was dismissed without notice for gross misconduct.